Glow stick formula

1. 50 grams of sugar
2. 25 mls of 50wt% NaOH
3. 5 mls of Isopropyl Alcohol 

Slowly stir sugar into NaOH,  Green color will develop with no glowing characteristics,
Add IPA only when you want the mixture to glow.  

Have fun. Cheap to make too.     

what is NaOH and where can you purchase it?

Thanx 

NaOh is sodium-hydroxide, you get it in a jar:) 

hey what store can i buy sodium-hydroxide at?
and what does this mean (25 mls of 50wt%)

1. 50 grams of sugar
2. 25 mls of 50wt% NaOH
3. 5 mls of Isopropyl Alcohol  

another way is to use hydrogen peroxide and phenyl oxalate ester.  i just dont know where
i can get the ester.  if anyone knows please let me know.  

Ok, I tried this, but for some reason, it didn't work for me at all.
Is there something else to the procedure that isn't written up there that I didn't do? 

Sodium Hydroxide is more commonly known as lye.  You should be able to get it at a
hardware store.

Be aware, Lye:
Is Very corrosive. 
Causes severe burns. 
May cause serious permanent eye damage. 
Is Very harmful by ingestion. 
Harmful by skin contact or by inhalation of dust. 

Also, I would not recommend washing it down the sink when you are done.. It tends to be
highly exothermic(gets really hot) when mixed with water.  

AllenKll, NaOH is just a base (opposite of an acid on the pH or pOH scale). NaOH is
aqueous. This means that it is just a solid disolved in water where it is split up into
Na+ and OH- particles. Also, adding NaOH to water only changes the Molarity. There is no
chemical reaction occuring, so it is not exothermic. The only way for NaOH to be
exothermic is to freeze it, because energy is taken away from it ->exothermic (out heat).
So AllenKll, NaOH is safe to mix with water and pouring it down the drain is the propper
way to dispose it. 
 

For non-Chemist types:
Its safe to pour this down the drain, but please be careful.  This is like Liquid
Plumber, just concentrated.  Have the water running while you pour it, and keep putting
water down the drain.  This stuff is very corrosive, and though there is only a small
amount, its concentrated enough to damage pipes.

Secondly, yes, putting pure NaOH pellets into water WILL cause a VERY HOT REACTION. 
Please, get a pre-mixed solution if you're going to attempt this.  It is NOT SAFE for
someone who is using this for the first time to attempt making their own solution of NaOH
without supervision.

Bottom line: NaOH IS CORROSIVE AND CAN BECOME HOT VERY QUICKLY!  HANDLE WITH EXTREME
CARE.

Response to Banana:

1) The volume of NaOH we're using is small, but the concentration is high enough to
warrent caution while disposing of this stuff.  So, you're partly right, it can be
flushed down a normal sink, provided there is enough water.  See below for my
calculations if you're interested in the concentrations.  

2) NaOH DOES cause a VERY exothermic reaction with water.  Yes, it sounds like its just
ions breaking off, but its releasing TONS of energy while its doing that.  In a lab, you
always mix an NaOH solution in an ice bath because it rapidly increases in temperature. 
Anyone who has taken Organic Chemistry will be able to attest to this.

Chemical Calculations:
We have 25 mL of 50% weight/volume NaOH
x grams NaOh/25 ml solution = 50% wt/vol  
This means we have 1.25 grams NaOH.
1.25 grams NaOH/40 (grams/mole) NaOH = .03125 moles NaOH
.03125 mol NaOH/.025 Liters Solution = 1.25 Molarity  

> 
> Chemical Calculations:
> We have 25 mL of 50% weight/volume NaOH
> x grams NaOh/25 ml solution = 50% wt/vol
> This means we have 1.25 grams NaOH.                      *WRONG 12.5 g
> 1.25 grams NaOH/40 (grams/mole) NaOH = .03125 moles NaOH
> .03125 mol NaOH/.025 Liters Solution = 1.25 Molarity  


WARNING: THE MOLARITY OF NaOH CALCULATED ABOVE IS WRONG! You are instead dealing with
12.5 M, NOT 1.25 M!  Exercise caution!

  
 

is there any risks of the chemicals listed and do i need to take any safety procedures
(i.e. gloves, goggles, face masks [prevent inhalation]) in making the glow stick? 
where can i also buy the usual container for the solution (glow stick) but empty?
(hahahahaha so i can rave with it)

please help. respond me back. thanx  

Just spend the $2.00 it sounds safer..pmsl :wink:

buy a 16oz. bottle of mountain Dew. Pour out about 3/4 of the bottle leaving about 1/4 of
Dew in the bottle. Then add about 1/8th teaspoon of baking soda into the Dew. Then add 3
cap full's of Hydrogyne porxide into the dew. Then Just replace the car.... shake it up,
and ............ watch it glow ! 

how do you duplicate the glow sticks from the store? They are non corrosive. 

Hi Guys

CHEAP GLOWSTICKS

Premium Quality!

www.lightupmylife.com.au